Vertical Cylinder I.C. Rupnow engine

[Steamer5]

A sneaky builder down under! I agree with Bruce where's the build log! If there isn't any pictures did it happen....

Brian,
 The world isn't that big, Toronto to Vancouver 5.5 hours, Vancouver to Auckland 13.5 hours, then another 45 minutes to mine( last bit is only a smallish turbo prop). Heading off to see number 2 son just out of Calgary in a couple of month, the 13.5 hours is ok but not FUN & its overnight from here, you also arrive before you leave, coming home well that's another story.......the international date line has got a lot to answer for!

Cheers Kerrin

[Brian Rupnow]

Bruedney--I wouldn't say it was sneaky. Quite a few people build the engines I post, and I never hear about it, or if I do it is only inadvertently. I LIKE IT when people let me know they are building one of my engines, especially when they start a thread about it, but not everyone is anxious to put their engines up on a public web page, and I respect that.---Brian

[Brian Rupnow]

We're ready to rock and roll!! Rocker arm and support tower are installed, and as far as I know for the moment, those were the last two mechanical parts I had to make. I have to make a head gasket, put a stronger spring on the exhaust valve, and pull the crankshaft out and cut a keyway in it. For the initial run of this engine, I will steal a gas tank from one of my many other engines for a temporary set-up. Once I am convinced that the engine runs properly, I will design a tank and tank support for this engine and post the drawings. I have to go down street now and buy a new set of points and a condenser.

[crueby]

That wss a pretty quick build! 

Looking forward to seeing it go...   

[Brian Rupnow]

Okay guys--Pay attention. This is the complete electrical, or at least as much as you are going to get with this engine. Assuming of course that you use the points and condenser for an early Chrysler product which I gave the numbers for earlier in this thread. Bolt the points onto the flywheel side of the frame as shown. There is one electrical terminal with a nut on it. Put a ring terminal on the end of a piece of #14 ga. insulated wire about 18" long, and put both the ring terminal and the lead from the condenser on the threaded post and snug down the nut.  I have also included a picture of the one ridiculously long tap I own, which happens to be a #8-32 and is just the right size for a bolt to hold down the condenser clamp.-NOTE--That hole is not on the frame drawing. Route the #14 ga. wire and the condenser wire around behind the condenser clamp ---we do NOT want them rubbing on the inside of the flywheel. A wire from the + side of the battery runs to a switch, then to the + side of a 12 volt automobile coil. another wire runs from the - side of the coil to a quick disconnect on the end of that #14 ga wire. Another separate wire runs from anywhere on the frame of the engine back to the - side of the 12 volt battery. When the points are closed, current flows from the battery, thru the switch and the coil and the points to the engine block and then back to the - side of the battery. Don't correct me--I'm not here to argue semantics. when the points open, it breaks the circuit, the primary field in the coil collapses and induces a high current flow in the secondery windings of the coil, and makes a spark which is delivered to the spark-plug. REMEMBER--the spark occurs when the points OPEN!!!

[Brian Rupnow]

The engine is timed, both ignition timing and valve timing. BIG BIG HINT--Ignition timing is very easy to do with the cylinder head off and the flywheel off. Loosen the set screw on the ignition cam. Turn the engine over clockwise when looking at the flywheel side until the piston is at top dead center. (the flywheel is off, so you will be turning the crankshaft from the con-rod end.)Turn the ignition cam clockwise by itself until the flat side is against the ignition points rubbing block. At that time the points should be fully closed. Now just turn the ignition cam clockwise by itself until the points open.(This will happen very suddenly--it's not a gradual thing.) At the point where they open, tighten the set-screw on the ignition cam. Now turn the flywheel back and forth a bit and watch the points. What you want is for the points to spring open at the very time the piston reaches top dead center. There is a bit of leeway there, but aim for it happening right at top dead center. After the engine is running we can dabble about with advanced or retarded ignition. Since the ignition cam is on the crankshaft we will get a spark every time the piston is at top dead center. The spark that occurs on the exhaust stroke can be ignored---there isn't anything to burn anyways.
Put the flywheel back on, but leave the cylinder head off. Turn the flywheel clockwise (when looking at the flywheel side of the engine) until the piston leaves top dead center and begins to go down in the cylinder. Use a Vernier caliper to determine when it is exactly 1.3" from the top of the cylinder to the top of the piston. At that measurement, the crankshaft will be exactly 50 degrees before bottom dead center. Loosen the set screws on the crankshaft gear, and without letting the crankshaft turn, turn the crankshaft gear clockwise (same as the flywheel direction) until the cam gear (which will revolve in the opposite direction) just begins to cause an upwards movement in the pushrod. This is hard to see, and is best done while holding a finger so it is touching the end of the pushrod and the top of the guide at the same time.--You will feel it when the pushrod begins to move upwards, under the influence of the cam.) Lock the crankshaft gear set screws at this point. Use a magic marker to put a line on the flywheel in line with one of the corners on the frame, for a visual reference. Now, turn the flywheel clockwise while holding the pushrod down with your finger. On one revolution of the flywheel(which corresponds with the intake and compression stroke) the pushrod won't move. On the next revolution, (Which corresponds with the power and exhaust stroke) the pushrod should begin to move upwards when the "witness mark" on the flywheel lines up with the corner of the frame. This may take some major screwing about. Again, there is a bit of leeway here, but keep it as close as you can. And--if you see that the pushrod hasn't fully retracted at the beginning of the intake stroke, don't worry---the exhaust valve stays open about 20 degrees into the intake stroke.

[Brian Rupnow]

One more bit of information, and then I'm off to mow the lawn before my wife skins me-----The exhaust valve spring (as of this moment) is .022" diameter wire, 0.100" between coils when in a free state x  0.9" long in it's free state and 0.195" diameter inside.

[Brian Rupnow]

The engine is set up on my test bench. Fire extinguisher is close at hand. Video camera is up on it's tripod, and a borrowed gas tank is full and hooked up. Battery and all electrical connections are in place. Now I just have to wait for my wife to get up out of bed so I can make noise. wish me luck!!

[Adiabatic]

Looking forward to it ,Brian. Hope you don't need the fire extinguisher....OZ.

[mnay]

Brian,
This has been a fun thread to watch.  I check it a couple of times a day at work to see your progress.  Can wait to see it run.
This one will go on my bucket list for sure.
Thanks for taking the time to give all of the details.  I have learned a lot from your great descriptions. 
Mike

[crueby]

Fire extinguisher is not to cool off your wife after you wake her with all the engine noise?!   

Looking forward to seeing the engine go!

[Brian Rupnow]

Okay guys---here we are--First run. a couple of times you will hear a bit of clanking--the set screws came lose on the flywheel during the very first run. I made this video at about 9;30 this morning, but it took so long loading to YouTube that I had to leave it loading and go away for the day. I just returned home and see it is finished loading, so here is the first run---ever. I had one good long sustained run before I had to leave this morning--enough to satisfy me that the engine is going to be a good runner as designed.---Brian
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp1Ja2-xt8g" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp1Ja2-xt8g</a>

[crueby]

Excellent!!

[Art K]

Brian,
Wow you have it running already. I think you have to much time on your hands.
Art

[Brian Rupnow]

Brian,
Wow you have it running already. I think you have to much time on your hands.
Art

Art--I sold my hotrod last fall. My engineering business has tapered off significantly since I retired 5 years ago. I have more time on my hands than I know what to do with. And yes, to go from concept to design to finished and running engine in 27 days is insane.